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Month: November 2015

I am hosting Thanksgiving this year so luckily I get to choose the recipes that my guests will be enjoying. Being a holiday, these dishes need to be delicious. It’s one thing to enforce my kids try bites of a healthy dish I decide to serve up on a week night, but these are guests who drove many miles to spend a holiday that’s all about the food. Thanksgiving has always had a special place in my heart. The older I get, the more I realize I love this holiday because it’s really about our “presence” rather than “presents“. Now of course I’m going to indulge on a slice of my aunt Becky’s delectable pie. But the rest of the meal is going to be traditional, but cleaned up. The following recipes have been tried and proven holiday worthy by my tribe, I hope yours enjoys as much as ours. Here’s my Clean eating Thanksgiving meal plan. Bon Appétit!

The turkey: that’s easy season with salt/pepper and grill on the Weber for 2 – 2.5 hours depending on the size

Add can of corn and can of creamed corn, sour cream, and melted butter. Mix well.

Pour into a greased 9×13 pan/dish and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

Regarding the dessert, if you’re indulging in a slice of pie or your favorite dessert, I say go for it & enjoy every bite. Part of this process of healthier eating is determining what is really worth “indulging upon”. Is it ice cream? pecan pie? Maybe for you it’s a beer or glass of wine? Choose one, enjoy and find that inner teacher within. “Mere guru dev” (Sanskrit).

Enjoy, drive safe, hug your loved ones and then put on some stretchy pants and show your family some of those Yoga poses that you’ve been learning. Peace. Love. Namaste!

It’s late October and it’s orange round EVERYTHING! Some are offended by this coif stereotype that happens this time of year, but I embrace it. Honoring the seasons, eating what is fresh, local, grown right in your backyard or next door honors the earth and your body; Yogi behavior. This soup is also vegan, paleo, gluten-free and amazingly delicious. It also just plain looks pretty in a bowl.

My typical complaint with vegan/vegetarian foods is with the amount of exercise I do, I need protein or I get “hangry” (my invented word for hungry-angry), what can I say, I’m human. But guess what, those yummy roasted pumpkin seeds contain 12 g of protein and fiber in 1 cup. Booyeah I say! Fiber fills your belly helping you feel full & protein fuels your muscles, all of you is happy.

Now let’s get down to business… My very fun & lovely friend Monica Hansmeyer gifted me with a ginormous Hubbard squash that’s enough to feed a family for a week, here’s sharing just one recipe. Go ahead and slurp, it’s too good not to.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp ground ginger

4 cups cooked winter squash (approximately, I used about ¼ of a giant Hubbard squash, any deep orange fleshed winter squash will do, such as buttercup, red kuri, turban)

2 cups almond milk

salt/pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425’ F. Cut squash in half, and scoop out seeds. Find deep edged dish (I like to use glass baking dishes to avoid the chemicals in non-stick pans) and place squash upside down, so the flesh of the squash is covered. Add water to dish until edges of squash are covered. Cook roughly 1 hour or until squash is fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool. (Note: if you can’t find pan large enough, just place squash meat side up on cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, it does not turn out as moist but will work.)

Heat olive oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook 5 minutes or until translucent, stirring often. Scoop 4 cups of squash flesh out from cooled squash and add to garlic/onion mixture. Add ginger, almond milk and salt & pepper to taste. Stir and heat on low until well combined. Use immersion/stick blender for easiest results to blend any lumps left in squash so it gets nice and creamy. You can also use a regular blender but when blending heated foods, remove the center from lid & cover with thick towel, watch your hands as the soup is fairly hot.

Serve topped with roasted pumpkin seeds and pomegranate arils.

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In May 1965, the state Legislature passed a bill which was signed into law by Governor Rolvaag, designating the walleye as the
state fish. And for good reason, it’s not only delicious, high in protein and a great combination of 3-6-9 fats and amino acids, however, fishermen/women declare that catching the Zen Caveperson’s meal of choice for tonight’s dinner is an elusive feat. Lucky for you Zen Caveperson’s, you can now buy Red Lake Walleye locally in Bemidji at several retail locations such as Harmony, Luken’s, Marketplace, Rod’s Meats, Bemidji Locker or online at: http://www.redlakewalleye.com/main-menu/walleye-1

Pecan-Crusted Walleye Fingers:

Ingredients:

6 Walleye fillets*

2 large eggs

1⁄2 cup finely chopped pecans

1⁄2 cup almond flour

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

1⁄2 tsp salt

Coconut oil cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut fillets crosswise into 1-inch strips.

Whisk together eggs and 1⁄4 cup water. Place egg mixture in a shallow dish.

Combine pecans and remaining ingredients in another shallow dish. Dip fish in egg; dredge in pecan mixture. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

*You may be substitute other firm white fish such as catfish or grouper if you can’t catch or buy walleye but really there’s no excuse not to be eating the state fish of Minnesota, Zen Cavepersons, find it locally at Harmony, Luken’s, Marketplace, Rod’s Meats, Bemidji Locker or online: http://www.redlakewalleye.com/main-menu/walleye-1